Nonferrous wheel having steel inserts and steel rim welded thereto



May 10, 1966 R. RICHTER 3,250,571

NONFERROUS WHEEL HAVING STEEL INSERTS AND STEEL RIM WELDED THERETO FiledFeb. 28, 1964 INVENTOR. R07 Ava/972 A BY a rfiw United States Patent3,250,571 NONFERROUS WHEEL HAVING STEEL INSERTS AND STEEL RIM WELDEDTHERETO Roy Richter, Downey, Calif, assignor to Bell Auto Parts, Inc.,Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Fiied Feb. 28, 1964,Ser. No. 348,114 (Ilaims. (Cl. 30165) This invention relates to wheelconstruction and more particularly, to the design and manufacture ofwheels for automotive and associated markets.

Recently a'form of wheel has been in demand which comprises a normalsteel rim and a cast aluminum center section which is polished orpainted to enhance its appear- .ance. Several methods of attaching thealuminum center section to the steel rim have been attempted such asriveting. Due to the relatively flexible characteristics of the steelrimunder use and the relative inflexible characteristics of the aluminumcasting, the fastening means or rivets tend to become loose. Thisresults in air leaks when using tubeless tires and allows the wheels tosqueak and ultimately leads to its destruction.

An object of this invention is to provide a wheel wherein the steel andcast aluminum sections may be joined without loosening of saidconnection under use.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means forinterconnecting the relatively flexible rim to the relatively inflexiblecenter in such a manner as to provide for relative movement between thetwo.

Other objects and advantages will :be apparent from the followingdescription:

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of the wheel.

FIGURE 2 is a view taken along line 22 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a view taken along line 3-3 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a view taken along line 4-4 of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a view taken along line 55 of FIG- URE *1.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective of the connecting member.

FIGURE 7 is a sectional view similar to FIGURE 5 of a modified form.

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the modified connecting member.

A steel clip or connecting member 10 is formed with a peripheral section12, a perforated section 14 and an interconnecting section 16. Theperforated section has one or more holes 18 therethrough.

When the center aluminum section 20 is cast, a clip 10 is positioned atthe end of each normal spoke of the wheel. During casting the aluminumfills holes 18 thus firmly anchoring the clips to the cast aluminumcenter section.

When it is desired to mount the wheel center on the steel rim 22, whichis of a standard construction well known to those skilled in the art,the peripheral section 12 of each clip is welded as at 24 thereto.

It is to be noted that the clip or connecting member 10 is provided witha bend or curved section 26 between the peripheral section 12 andperforated section 14 which is outside the cast aluminum center section20. This bend or curved section will, during operation of the car, flexto compensate for the relative movement between the steel rim 22 and thealuminum center 20.

In FIGURES 7 and 8 a modified form of this invention is shown whereinlike parts are given the same numerical designation with the addition ofthe exponent a. The difference here resides in the formation of the clip10:: where the interconnecting section 16 has been eliminated 3,258,571Patented May 10, 1966 to without departing from the scope of thisinvention and such alterations and modifications are intended to :beincluded within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A vehicle wheel assembly, including: a hub made of nonferrous metaland having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rim mounting portionseach having an axially extending circumferentially arcuate outer endsurface, said hub having apertured wheel mounting webs for mounting on avehicle, a steel rim having a circular axially extending inner surfaceplaced over and engaging said end surfaces; steel inserts carried bysaid mounting portions to afford the welding thereof to said rim, eachof said inserts including a body portion embedded in one of saidmounting portions and an exposed portion extending radially outwardlyalong and externally of a side surface of said one of said mountingportions and terminating adjacent the inner surface of said rim, and abead of weld applied to said exposed portion of said insert and to saidrim joining said rim to said hub.

2. A vehicle wheel assembly, including: a hub made of nonferrous metaland having a plurality of circumferentially spaced rim mounting portionseach having an axially extending circumferentially arcuate outer endsurface, a steel rim having a circular axially extending inner surfaceplaced over and engaging said end surfaces, a steel insert carried byeach of said rim mounting portions, each insert having one extremityembedded in its rim mounting portion and its other extremity directlyand rigidly secured to said rim, the intermediate portion of each insertbeing free of direct securement to said hub and rim and comprising aresiliently flexible connection between said hub and rim.

3. A wheel as defined in claim 2 wherein said other extremity of eachinsert is welded to said rim and wherein said one extremity is providedwith at least one hole therethrough interlocking with the material ofsaid hub.

4. A wheel as defined in claim 2 wherein each said intermediate portionis curved.

5. A wheel as defined in claim 2 wherein each said intermediate portionis located externally of its rim mounting portion on one side of saidwheel.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,008,933 7/1935Sinclair 301-65 2,164,883 7/1939 Moore 3016 2,439,881 4/ 1948 Ash 301652,65 3,547 9/ 1953 Langdon 29470.7 X 3,004,795 10/1961 Atkin 188-218FOREIGN PATENTS 3 87,086 2/ 1933 Great Britain.

463,319 3/1937 Great Britain.

469,803 7/ 1937 Great Britain.

OTHER REFERENCES Johnson: Magnasteel Wheels, advertising brochurepublished by Johnsons Engineering, Portland, Oregon, dis tributednationally in March of 1963.

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner. ARTHUR L. LA POINT, Examiner.

R. J. JOHNSON, Assistant Examiner.

2. A VEHICLE WHEEL ASSEMBLY, INCLUDING: A HUB MADE OF NONFERROUS METALAND HAVING A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY SPACED RIM MOUNTING PORTIONSEACH HAVING AN AXIALLY EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY ARCUATE OUTER ENDSURFACE, A STEEL RIM HAVING A CIRCULAR AXIALLY EXTENDING INNER SURFACEPLACED OVER AND ENGAGING SAID END SURFACES, A STEEL INSERT CARRIED BYEACH OF SAID RIM MOUNTING PORTIONS, EACH INSERT HAVING ONE EXTREMITYEMBEDDED IN ITS RIM MOUNTING PORTION AND ITS OTHER EXTREMITY DIRECTLYAND RIGIDLY SECURED TO SAID RIM, THE INTERMEDIATE PORTION OF EACH INSERTBEING FREE OF DIRECT SECUREMENT TO SAID HUB AND RIM AND COMPRISING ARESILIENTLY FLEXIBLE CONNECTION BETWEEN SAID HUB AND RIM.